Mobile phones with additional functionalities, also known as smartphones, have become ubiquitous. Today's smartphones include an operating system and software applications that allow the devices to perform a wide variety of functions ranging from voice calling and texting, to web browsing, games, music and much, much more.
However, of all the functionalities of smartphones, smartphone camera usage remains one of the top uses for smartphones today. In addition, most smartphones include display screens (predominately touch screens) on the front-side of the device that can be used to view the object of interest for the photography. That is, the object of interest for the photography is displayed and viewed directly on the display screen of the device in lieu of peering through a lens aperture.
Typical smartphones on the market may have up to two cameras: one on the backside for taking traditional photographs or video, and one on the front-side that may allow the user to take pictures or videos of himself/herself, or what is known as “selfies”. The front-side camera may also be used for video chatting and/or “vlogging”. The user chooses what camera they wish to use and the device displays the object of interest (either the view from the front-side camera or the view from the backside camera) on the device's display.
These cameras typically come with a light source (a flash) configured with the backside camera, but no flash configured with the front-side camera. And because of this, the ability to take quality photographs or video in dark or dimly lit conditions with the front-side camera may be significantly limited. Accordingly, there is a need for a flash for front-side cameras on smartphones.
In addition, the flashes configured with the backside cameras are many times low intensity which may result in inadequate illumination of the object of interest. As such, there is a need for higher intensity flashes for backside cameras on smartphones.
Also, many users may wish to use the front-side cameras and the backside cameras interchangeably depending on the application, and current illumination accessories on the market may provide illumination for one side or the other, but not adequately for both interchangeably. Others may include a fixed illumination device for the front side camera and a separate and fixed illumination device for the backside camera, but these may significantly increase the size and form factor of the accessory due to the need for two illumination devices. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that may provide both a flash for the front-side camera of a smartphone, as well as a flash for the backside camera, and that may do so while keeping the size and form factor of the accessory to a minimum.
It should also be noted that because light sources require power, there is a need to provide power to said front-side cameras and backside cameras, and to the smartphone itself.